AGAVE SPIRITS CALA RESTAURANT

Updated February 2019 by J.D. Nasaw GOALS:

• Comfort with answering “What is mezcal?”

• Properly taste, talk, and serve mezcal

• Familiarity with plant and common varieties

• Basics of mezcal /production

• NEXT TIME: Producers, Regions, More in-depth production MEZCAL MISCONCEPTIONS

• It’s just smoky ! It burns! • It gets you drunk and gives you hangovers! • It’s supposed to have a worm in the bottle! • Always serve it with salt and citrus! • You should drink it like a shot, all at once! • Reposado is better! Añejo is the best! • Otherwise it’s only good in ! • It pairs well with food! It doesn’t pair well with food! • It tastes the same no matter where it’s from! • IT SHOULD BE CHEAPER! WHY IS MEZCAL SO SPECIAL?

• Terroir (think Burgundy!)

• Time (intergenerational, 6-35 years!)

• Tools (clay pots, no electricity, five senses)

• Agave (vs. fruit, grain, or sugarcane)

• Wood (heat, smoke, construction) WHAT IS MEZCAL?

• Cultural Definition: Any distillate made from the agave plant

• Historically made in 24 of the 31 States of Mexico

• Conflation of the words metl (agave) and ixcalli (roasted)

• First imported to the United States in 1975; now more than 75% of tequila & mezcal exports come to the U.S. MEZCAL LAWS • Official Definition: must be 36-55% ABV, certified and bottled in Mexico according to the Denomination of Origin in one of twelve states:

• (1994) • (2003)

• (1994) • Michoacan (2012)

• (1994) • (2015)

• San Luis Potosi (1994) • Aguascalientes (2018)

• (1994) • Estado de Mexico (2018)

• Guanajato (2001) • (2018) MEZCAL LAWS

• 1994: Denominación de Origen established for Mezcal

• 2005: Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM) began certifying mezcales based on the ever- changing Normas Official Mexicana (NOM) which set the standard for production. MEZCAL LAWS

• To be sold legally as “mezcal” in Mexico or for export, both the palenque and the individual batch must be certified (and a great deal of tax paid) otherwise its classified as “Destilado de Agave”

• CRM-certified producers represent only 10-20% of all mezcal producers

• 95% of certified exports come from Oaxaca REGIONS OF MEXICO TASTING MEZCAL (MEZCALOTECA, OAXACA)

• Rub a drop of mezcal between your hands. As it evaporates you will be able to smell the aroma of cooked maguey.

• Smell the mezcal before drinking it. You will find the aroma you sensed when rubbing it between your hands. Different aromas will soon become apparent. Keep your mouth closed as you initially breathe in the scent, and then open it to fully recognize the aroma.

• Take a small sip, rinsing your mouth with the mezcal for ten seconds, exhaling its vapors through your nose. Swallow the first sip and focus on the flavors coming to life on your palate.

• Take another sip and savor it for ten seconds before swallowing. Take note of the flavors rising from your stomach – they are the mezcal’s finest and most exquisite. After several minutes your palate will be blossoming with the flavors of cooked maguey. TASTING MEZCAL

• Body

• Viscosity/Mouthfeel

• Sweetness, Acidity, Bitterness/Tannin

• (ABV)

• Flavor

• Aroma (Smell) vs. Palate (Taste)

• Fruity, Floral, Vegetal/Herbaceous, Mineral

• Finish (complexity) SPECIFIC FLAVORS

• FROM THE AGAVE/HARVEST: Mint, basil, asparagus, lime, lemon, grapefruit, anise, grass, bitter orange peel, white flowers, vanilla

• FROM THE ROAST: Honey, toffee, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, smoke, caramel, walnut, peanut, almond, hazelnut, brown sugar, coffee, chili pepper, ash, charcoal, pepper, chocolate, wood, fire TALKING MEZCAL

• Start with the Basics

• Who, Where, What (producer/mezcalero, origin, varietal)

• Possibly Note Production

• Type of Still (Clay/Copper/Wood); Aging; Pechugas

• Taste — Stay General!

• Light/Intense, Fruity/Floral, Vegetal/Mineral, Complexity

• Use Metaphors! SERVING MEZCAL

• Room temperature, neat, from a wide- mouthed vessel (the way mezcaleros drink it!)

• Side-by-side tastings (comparing region, agave variety, mezcalero, distillation methods)

• Caution with Pairing

• Caution with Cocktails — would you use the most expensive in ? OPTIONAL ACCOMPANIMENTS

• Fruit

• Typically orange, but also grapefruit, tomato, mango, coconut)

• Nothing too acidic (lime/lemon)

• Sal de gusano (worm salt)

• Dried, toasted, ground worms mixed with salt & dried chili pepper JICARA & VELADORA

Jicara

Calabash Tree (Crescentia cujete) Veladora THE AGAVE PLANT

• A succulent of the asparagae family; biologically more similar to garlic, onions, or asparagus than it is to cacti (which it more closely resembles)

• Agave = Latin word derived from Ancient Greek agaunos (noble, or splendid)

• Maguey = from indigenous Taino people’s language – Spaniard’s spread the use of this word throughout Mexico instead of metl (Nahuatl word) THE AGAVE PLANT

• Some 200 recognized species globally

• Only around 20 species are commonly used for mezcal production

• Another 10-20 used less commonly

• The others are too fibrous and don’t have enough sugar to make mezcal THE AGAVE PLANT

• Known as the “Needle-and-Thread Plant” for its many uses:

• Food staple since at least 9000 BCE

• , aguamiel (sugar syrup)

• Nails, needles, writing instruments

• Thread, paper, clothing, rope, baskets, sandals, belts

• Building material for homes, fences and walls

• Medicine STEPS OF PRODUCTION

• Cultivation

• Harvest

• Roasting

• Crushing

• Fermentation

• Distillation

• Aging CULTIVATION CULTIVATION HARVEST ROASTING ROASTING ROASTING ROASTING CRUSHING CRUSHING CRUSHING CRUSHING CRUSHING FERMENTATION FERMENTATION DISTILLATION DISTILLATION DISTILLATION DISTILLATION PECHUGAS PECHUGAS

• A broad category of “celebratory mezcales” that the D.O. recognizes with “Destilado con…” referring to additions besides agave in the distillation

• Vague history that dates back 150-300 years; some say it was once known as mezcal del pecho del mezcalero meaning from the heart of the mezcalero – only made for special moments in their lives, traditionally for rituals and celebrations like weddings, Christmas and patron saint days; “always intended to be shared among friends”

• Usually involves dry, raw meat hung inside the top of the still so the vapor passes through it; the fat and juices drip down into the distillation; often includes other fruits, herbs, nuts and spices (banana, apple, plum, orange, almonds, rice, cinnamon, anise) AGING

• Mezcal is typically rested for several weeks after production to allow the flavors to integrate. After that you can age it longer in several denominated ways:

• Reposado - 2-12 months in oak barrels

• Añejo – 1-3 years in oak barrels

• “Madurado en Vidrio” – minimum of 12 months in glass; refines and condenses the flavors, adds depth and complexity; often smoother but more expressive and less herbal A NOTE ON ENSAMBLES

• Most mezcals historically have been blends of whatever were ripe at the time of production

• Only recently has the obsession with single varietal agaves become mainstream ESPADIN (A. ANGUSTIFOLIA) ESPADIN (A. ANGUSTIFOLIA)

• The genetic parent of agave tequilana

• By far the most produced and consumed variety of agave – about 80% of mezcal production

• Large-scale cultivation began in the 1930s and supposedly it was brought to Oaxaca along with the tahona in 1980, quickly dominating; at that time most mezcal sold for the same price per liter regardless of agave

• Generally disease-resistant; easily cultivated and able to reproduce clonally ESPADIN (A. ANGUSTIFOLIA)

• Highest yields: about 10 bottles of mezcal per piña

• High sugar content and fastest to mature (5-10 years)

• Doesn’t have a strong inherent flavor so it’s good at capturing the terroir of where it’s grown; tends to be sweeter with a balance of fruity, floral, herbaceous, and mineral notes

• Also known as Doba-Yej, Espadilla (wild in Puebla), Pacifica (for in ), Lumbre, Castilla TOBALA (A. POTATORUM) TOBALA (A. POTATORUM)

• Once a rare species called “the king of agaves” and compared to truffles; it was the first wild agave to become popular in the export market so it was severely overharvested; some producers now growing a semi-wild version

• Likes to grow in rocky soils at high altitudes under the shade of trees; contains an enzyme that allows it to break through rock; does not produce hijuelos from the root

• Very small size, low yield (2 bottles of mezcal per piña); usually 12-15 years to mature

• Intensely aromatic, woody, sometimes fruity, sweet enduring finish; very different taste depending on altitude

• Also known as Papalometl (Puebla); subvarieties include Chino (smaller, more rare), Orejon CUIXE (A. KARWINSKII) CUIXE (A. KARWINSKII)

• Grows upright with a trunk like a tree; only found in Oaxaca; has many subvarieties and often grows together in the wild like a little family

• Needs more time between roasting and fermentation to break down fibers

• Due to their dense core and lower water content, flavor profile is usually high in minerality, dry, earthy, woody, vegetal & floral CUIXE (A. KARWINSKII)

More Common, Smallest-to-Largest:

• Cuixe – also known as Bicuixe, Cirial, Largo

• Madrecuixe (larger cylindrical piña)

• Tobasiche (longest slender piña with many pencas that shoot upwards)

• Barril (biggest & fattest of the family; very rare; can take 30 years to mature)

• OTHERS: Tripon (Santa Catarina Minas), Marteño, San Martin, Cucharillo TEPEZTATE (A. MARMORATA) TEPEZTATE (A. MARMORATA)

• Rare species that can grow very large and is one of the longest to mature (often 20-35 years) but still has lower sugar density in it’s piña

• Prefers steep grades in rocky soil; does not grow hijuelos from the root; its quiote is arguably the most beautiful with yellow flowers, often harvested and used for church altars; broad and wavy leaves that make it look like an alien

• Very perfumed (think gewurtztraminer wine) and intensely vegetal, green, herbal, earthy

• Also known as Pitzometl; outside of Oaxaca it’s also found in Puebla and Michoacan CUPREATA (A. CUPREATA) CUPREATA (A. CUPREATA)

• Smaller plant but still has higher sugar density; usually 5-12 years to mature

• Only reproduces from seed, but some people are working on a semi-cultivated version

• Generally lighter-bodied, bright, floral, slightly sweet, sometimes with a piney, resinous finish

• Also known as Papalome; produced mainly in Michoacan (where it’s called Chino) and Guerrero (called Papalote) where it is more widely cultivated and matures fairly quickly like espadin ARROQUEÑO (A. AMERICANA) ARROQUEÑO (A. AMERICANA)

• Now rare species of enormous size with longer ripening period (often 10-25 years)

• Eighty years ago it was the most planted agave in Oaxaca (until they discovered espadin)

• Looks like a large espadin with wider pencas, often more fragrant, floral

• Concentrated sugars make it high proof, rich & full bodied but still balanced

• Americana varieties include (in order of decreasing size): Blanco, Sierrudo, Sierra Negra, Canastuda, Arroqueño, Pulquero, Coyote MEXICANO (A. RHODACANTHA) MEXICANO (A. RHODACANTHA)

• Very large genetic relative of espadin; can take a bit longer to mature (7-12 years)

• Still has the roundness, richness, some sweetness of espadin but with more complexity, often higher alcohol; floral, honey-like quality

• Also known as Dobadaan, Penca Larga; Barril (Zoquitlan), Cuishe (Santa Catarina Minas) OTHER AGAVES

• Cenizo (a. duranguensis) – mostly found in Durango; varies greatly in size and shape; often very high-toned, citrusy, floral (note: the name cenizo is also used for other species in different regions)

• Jabali (a. convallis) – rarely used for mezcal production because it’s difficult to work with (thrives in cliffs and rocks; bubbles a lot during fermentation so you can only fill a fermentation vat halfway)

• A. Salmiana – mainly in San Luis Potosi; produces a very low yield; lots of green vegetal tones like tepeztate; also known as Pulquero or Mezcalero

• A. Inaequidens – mainly in Michoacan and (for Raicilla); also known as Alto or Bruto

• A. Maximiliana – used in Raicilla; also known as Lechuguilla

• A. Tequilana – mainly in Jalisco, Michoacan, Zacatecas HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

• “What is mezcal?”

• Tasting & evaluating mezcal

• Basics of mezcal distillation/production

• The agave plant and common varieties